Rodney Morrison v United Collieries Pty Ltd [2002] NSWIRComm 173

Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales in Court Session

CITATION : Rodney Morrison v United Collieries Pty Ltd [2002] NSWIRComm 173 PROSECUTOR: Rodney Morrison PARTIES : DEFENDANT: United Collieries Pty Ltd (ACN 001 990 209) FILE NUMBER: IRC 4706 and 4707 of 2001 CORAM: Schmidt J CATCHWORDS : Occupational Health and Safety - two breaches of s15(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 - two separate consents to prosecute under s15 executed by Director General - whether prosecution failed to meet the requirements of s48 of the Act - whether Director General's intention was for the defendant to be prosecuted for only one offence - consideration of sequence of events provided a proper basis for the execution of two consents to prosecute - summonses to be dismissed declined Environmental Protection Act 1986 Fair Trading Act 1989 Interpretation Act 1987 LEGISLATION CITED : Occupational Health and Safety Act 1983 Supreme Court (Summary Jurisdiction) Act 1967 Trade Practices Act 1974 Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 Trading with the Enemy Act 1914 Berwin v Donohoe (1915) 21 CLR 1 Dever v Creevy (1993) 1 Qd R 232 MacCarron v Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd (2001) 23 WAR 355 Workcover Authority of New South Wales (Inspector Keenan) v Lucon (Australia) Pty Limited [2002] NSWIRComm 68 Palos Verdes Estates Pty Ltd v Carbon (1992) 6 WAR 223 CASES CITED : R v Cain [1976] 1 QB 496 Rabczynski v Morrison [1988] WAR 71 Rodney Morrison v Dartbrook Coal Pty Ltd and Tecrete Industries Pty Ltd [2002] NSWIRComm 127 Schultz v Virgin [1966] SASR 94 Thompson v The Queen (1989) 169 CLR 1 Traveland Pty Ltd v Doherty (1982) 41 ALR 563 HEARING DATES: 05/21/2002; 05/22/2002; 05/23/2002; 05/24/2002; 05/27/2002; 05/28/2002; 05/29/2002; 05/30/2002 DATE OF JUDGMENT: 07/29/2002